INDEC's National Household Expenditure Survey (ENGHO) is one of the most comprehensive tools available for understanding how Argentine families allocate their income. The most recent edition, covering the period 2017-18, surveyed tens of thousands of households across all regions of the country to document spending patterns across more than a hundred categories. The survey is the primary source for calculating the weights used in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket, making it a foundational dataset for understanding both household welfare and macroeconomic measurement in Argentina. Our dashboard on the National Expenditure Survey provides interactive visualizations of the survey's key findings.
Where the money goes: the main spending categories
Food and non-alcoholic beverages represent the single largest item in the average Argentine household budget, accounting for 26.5% of total expenditure according to the 2017-18 ENGHO. Housing, water, electricity, and gas combined for 17.8% — a figure that reflects both rent costs and the significant share of income directed toward utility services, particularly in urban areas. Transport came in third at 13.2%, encompassing both private vehicle costs and public transit fares. Recreation and culture absorbed 6.1% of the average household budget, while mobile phones and internet connectivity accounted for 5.3% of total spending — a category that did not exist in earlier editions of the survey and reflects the rapid integration of digital services into everyday Argentine life.
Income inequality and spending structure
The ENGHO data reveal stark differences in spending structure across income groups. Households in the lowest income decile directed 41% of their budgets to food and beverages — more than double the national average — leaving very little room for discretionary spending on education, recreation, or savings. By contrast, households in the highest income decile allocated only 15.6% of their spending to food, with larger shares going to recreation, health services, and durable goods. The average monthly household expenditure recorded in the 2017-18 survey was $24,367 pesos at the time of measurement. In a context of persistent high inflation, these figures must be interpreted carefully, as the survey captured a specific moment in time and relative price changes can rapidly alter the composition of actual spending.
Regional differences across Argentina
The survey also documents significant regional variation in spending patterns. Households in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area dedicate a proportionally larger share of their budget to housing costs, reflecting higher rents and property values in one of Latin America's most densely populated urban agglomerations. In contrast, households in Patagonia allocate more of their spending to energy — natural gas and heating fuels — given the region's colder climate and greater distance from supply infrastructure. The Northwest and Northeast regions show higher food shares as a proportion of total spending, consistent with lower average income levels in those regions. These geographic differences are important for evaluating the regional impact of price changes in specific categories.
Why household spending data matters
Understanding household spending structure is essential for a wide range of policy and analytical purposes. The weights derived from the ENGHO determine how the CPI measures inflation, meaning that errors or outdatedness in the survey directly affect the accuracy of price statistics. The data also inform minimum wage negotiations, social assistance benefit levels, and poverty line calculations — all of which depend on an accurate picture of what households actually need to spend to meet their basic needs. As inflation eroded real incomes sharply in the years following the 2017-18 survey, the spending structures it captured became increasingly distant from current reality, underlining the importance of conducting updated household expenditure surveys on a regular basis. Our dashboard on the Permanent Household Survey tracks household living conditions on a quarterly basis and complements the detailed spending data from the ENGHO.
